March 12, 2015 

Volume 24, Issue 12 Thursday, March 12, 2015

NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

Greetings,

I am so excited about the Science Fair tonight! The gym looks amazing with all of the new art. Thank you to Sally, our art teacher, for creating such amazing work with the students. I’d also like to give a giant thank you to Cathy Chamberlain and Doug Paine for the inception of and their devotion to this program. This is their last year coordinating the program. Cathy has spent the past year recruiting and training new families to keep this event happening at Swift River. Please be sure to thank Cathy and Doug this evening when you see them. I’d also like to urge all families to use caution when parking on the street for tonight’s event, and please remember to park only on one side of the road. 

We at Swift River are so fortunate to have fiber-optic bringing high-speed internet service into the school. Without it, we would not be a 21st Century School. I’d like to remind all New Salem and Wendell residents to be on the lookout for the Wired West Network, and to consider jumping on board with this initiative. Wired West is hoping to bring fiber-optic to both towns, so that families will be able to have broadband internet, digital phones, television, and more—but they need your help. Please consider signing up at your local library, or through the invitation you may have received in the mail.

Finally, winter is melting! I must say I’m thrilled that the snow is starting to recede. I’d like to remind you that we still have high snow banks and cannot see into the upper parking lot of the school right now. Please drive with caution at all times and be careful walking in the morning, when there may be some black ice. I’d also like to thank both New Salem’s and Wendell’s highway departments for keeping our roads safe this winter; they did an outstanding job. Considering the amount of snow and ice we have had, I never once felt unsafe commuting to work. p

Fondly,

Kelley

Library Lines

What an incredible Books in Action party last Friday evening at Leverett Elementary School! Thank you to our wonderful Swift River School teachers and parents for volunteering your time. Some highlights included a Tae Kwon Do demonstration and lesson by Athol Martial Arts Academy, various Minute To Win It games, Capture the Flag, dragon kite-making and much more. All activities are based on the 25 MCBA books and really put the “books in action”!

Congratulations to the winning Battle of the Books team: Austin, Jamison, Isaac and Jeremy! All of the teams did an amazing job, and I was so impressed with their knowledge of the MCBA books.

In the library this week, we discussed the Caldecott medals and read this year’s winner,

The Adventures of Beekle written and illustrated by Dan Santat.

Make time to read,

Betsy

 

Congratulations to Swift River’s Destination Imagination teams!

This past weekend, Swift River’s first ever 3rd grade Destination Imagination team and the sibling companion K- 1 Rising Stars team competed in Monson at the regional tournament and placed 2nd!! Over the past few months, they've built towers out of paper, catapults out of chopsticks, transformed into a human snake, became superheroes, used mistakes as learning opportunities, and, most importantly, came together as a team. We are very proud of their hard work and accomplishment. They are truly exceptional teams.

After lots of thought and research on habitats and adaptations, the K-1 team created a brand new animal and wrote a play about how the ELETIETIE was created. For the next few weeks the Eletietie is displayed in the library. Check it out!

This pilot year has been a tremendous success. Thank you to the parents who dedicated their time at the tournament. A very special thanks to Tim Richards and Bill Solomon who volunteered to be appraisers at the tournament. Lastly, thanks to the New Salem Cultural Council for their support. We hope to continue and expand this program next year. Keep an eye out in the Current for information about how you and your child can get involved.

The Student Council’s Scoop!

The Student Council had a successful “Stuffed Animal Day” today. Thank you to the many generous Swift River students and staff who donated quarters to support the Athol/Orange Animal Control Center. This money helps feed and shelter lost animals who need care until loving homes are found. 

We would also like to congratulate the 6th grade, 4th grade and kindergarten classes for participating in the first “Word of the Month Challenge”! These 3 classes showed how they were INSPIRED by others or how they can INSPIRE us! Great job!! The March word of the month is TEAMWORK! Show us what you can do when you work together as a team!

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

These announcements and events are not school sponsored.

STUDENT ARTISTS NEEDED!

Run! Walk! Cheer! The Rabbit Run is coming…Saturday May 16! The Rabbit Run is a fun and challenging 10k race/three mile walk through the gorgeous trails near  the Quabbin and the New Salem Common. And it counts for the 100 Mile Club!  And…this year the Rabbit Run is also a fundraiser for the 100 Mile Club!

The Rabbit Run is an awesome race in many ways, especially because the race t-shirt is ALWAYS designed by Swift River students. We NEED your designs! Designs should be drawn in blue or black ink on white 8 ½” x 11” paper. Students: please submit your designs to the principal’s office no later than Friday, April 3. Don’t forget to include your name and grade on the back of your paper.

WE ALSO NEED STUDENTS to create awesome Mile Marker signs and Cheering Posters! Any students who are interested should contact Carla Halpern at (978) 544-2676, and we will arrange a Poster Prep Party. All are welcome.

Any students, staff or community members who are interested in running, walking, or volunteering at the Rabbit Run should also contact Carla Halpern. This is going to be SO MUCH FUN!

New Salem Library Teen and Tween News

March 18th Come learn to shoot a bow and arrow. Can you shoot as well as Katniss?

April 1st is April Fool’s Day! Come to our TAB meeting. Help decide what programs we will do this summer and enjoy a special snack. 

April 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th It’s Art with Amy! Come learn and improve upon your drawing skills. Please call the library in advance so that we have enough materials for everyone.

We’re open from 1:30 – 5:30 every Wednesday for 11-18 year olds. Most of our programs start at 3:30. Mahar students can take the bus to our Library! Call and we’ll make the arrangements. 978-544-6334

Join the campaign to bring broadband to New Salem & Wendell!

WiredWest is a cooperative of small towns in western Massachusetts dedicated to bringing affordable, reliable, high-speed internet to those of us who have been without it. Thirty-two towns are working together to build and operate a regional state-of-the-art fiber-optic network that will bring broadband internet, digital phone, TV and more to our homes and businesses.

It’s up to us to make this happen. If we want to become a “Fiber Town” and be part of the WiredWest network, there are two things we have to do:

  1. 40% of the households in our town must sign a conditional commitment for service and make a $49 deposit, to be applied to a customer’s first month’s bill.
  2. The cost to build the network in these towns is an estimated $79 million. The state is contributing up to 40% of the funds, but the towns must provide the rest. A 2/3rd majority vote in a town meeting is needed to approve borrowing the funds each town must contribute as its portion of costs.

If we meet these goals, the design and build-out of the network will begin. We must act together, now, to get broadband. Sign up here to help our town reach its 40% goal and become a Fiber Town: https://register.wiredwest.net/  If you prefer to pay by check, you can mail one back with the registration form that will be mailed to you this week. You can also get more information on WiredWest at http://wiredwest.net/

Cancer Connection

Thank you to the Wendell, New Salem, and Shutesbury communities for all the generous donations to The Cancer Connection, Inc. Your donations make a huge difference in the lives of families dealing with a cancer diagnosis. We heard many of these families’ stories earlier this month on 93.9 FM The River and during the campout. Their stories are direct proof of this great organization’s help within our communities. Many thanks for all of your support!!!

The New Salem-Wendell School District assures that all programs, activities, and employment opportunities are offered without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, disability, economic status, homelessness, religion or sexual orientation.

Posted by On 12 March, 2015 at 2:12 PM  

Leave Your Comment
Security Measure